Final answer:
Road markings are essential for directing traffic, ensuring vehicular and pedestrian safety, and delineating lanes and signals at intersections. Technologies like GPS also play a role in traffic safety and regulation, though they bring up privacy concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Road markings divide lanes and tell you when you may pass other vehicles or change lanes, which lanes to use for turns, and where you must stop for signs or traffic signals. These markings play a crucial role in ensuring both vehicular and pedestrian safety, especially in high traffic areas such as intersections near school campuses. For example, when vehicles speed through an intersection without regard to the posted speed limit, traffic signals can compel them to slow down. Furthermore, traffic signals can provide safe crossing points for pedestrians who would otherwise have to dodge traffic.
Systems like GPS (Global Positioning System) and automated toll collection have enhanced the way we monitor traffic flow and safety. These technologies allow for more efficient tracking of vehicles and can contribute to road safety by ensuring adherence to traffic regulations. However, the use of these technologies has also raised concerns about privacy and the monitoring of law-abiding citizens.